ROMANTIC IDEAS

         Plan ahead for Valentine’s Day to give your sweetheart the best Valentine holiday of their life. A romantic gesture or gift each day from February first through the fourteenth will have your loved one tingling with pleasure. Call it the 14 days of Valentines.

         Try your hand at writing a special poem to express your love. It does not really matter how good your poetry skills are but work on it until you are satisfied with what you wanted to say to your partner. Type it up in a word processer and maybe add some appropriate graphics or even one of your own digital photographs. You could then put it in an envelope and send it by mail or e-mail it to her; or if you are especially pleased with your work there are many office stores that will print your design on some nice rag paper and even frame and matte it for you.

        Try your hand at a new recipe. Even if you don’t cook often you can pick out an interesting recipe and surprise her with your new culinary skills. You guys out there should not underestimate what you could do with this idea. Most recipes are written well enough so that even a novice can follow the directions. You will make her feel real special if you take the effort to actually “wine and dine” her.

        Go to a dude ranch with her and take a horse ride on a trail. Many of these venues will offer a great campfire steak dinner after the trail ride. My experience with this was great! I can’t wait to do it again.

        If you have always wanted to go ballroom dancing or learn swing-dancing why don’t you make it a priority? Talk it over with your sweetheart and let him/her know that this is what you really want to do. Then sign-up for lessons. Most organizations that provide this service will have a big dance with live music at the end of the lessons.

        Go online and search for wineries in your area. Once you know where they are you can plan a romantic wine-tasting excursion. Bear in mind that most wineries have a gift shop where you can buy your sweetheart a nice gift.

        Next time you are invited to a wedding you can play a secret pretend game. At the reception, you as a couple can secretly pretend that you are the bride and groom! Then at the end of the evening you can retire to your “honeymoon suite”. Need I say more?

        Go to a theatrical play together. Plan a nice restaurant dinner around it. Does this sound rather mundane? What can make this idea more exciting is to dress to the nines. You know the song: “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man”? And you guys know what a nice evening dress can do, don’t you? Does this work for you now?

        Plan an all-day date together at the next state fair in your area. Reserve a motel/hotel room so you will not be concerned with the trip back home. Beforehand check a newspaper or internet site for events at the state fair that interest you the most, such as music concerts or fireworks etc.

   Plan a canoe or kayak trip down a river in your area. Pack a blanket and a picnic lunch (don’t forget the wine) so you can stop along the way for a romantic picnic in the wild.

        A relaxing way to spend time together on an inclement weather day is to visit a museum. Most of the larger museums will have a restaurant or two to choose from. I have dinned in a few where the food is excellent! Visit the gift shop while you are there and buy your sweetheart something nice.

   OK, the weekend is near and you don’t have a clue on what to do. Look up in your newspaper or internet for comedy clubs in your area. Comedy clubs are fun!

        An excellent way to get to know your life-partner better is to exchange a favorite  book with each other, then each of you actually read the exchanged book. This plan has the potential to provide valuable insights into who your partner is. What could be more romantic?

        If you find you have nothing to do and time to kill; why not break out one of those old board games that you once liked to play? It is an excellent way to enjoy each-others company. Or you can download our ten romantic games for a more romantic experience.

        Looking for a new dining experience? Many colleges and universities offer culinary degrees. Those that do often have an on-campus restaurant run by staff and culinary students. Often you may get to experience a top-shelf culinary delight for very reasonable cost. Call for hours and reservations and have a romantic time together!

        Make a date to visit your local swimming-hole for some quality “frolic” time together. It does not matter if it is a lake or a community pool or even an exercise spa. Frolic time is good!

        Speaking of water, make a pact to “go walking together in the rain” the next time you get a warm rain shower. It is an exhilarating experience. Once home you can peel each other’s clothes off and shower together. Then dry each other off with a large, soft, bath-towel. The rest is up to you!

        Do either one of you have a collection of some sort? An excursion to yard sales, auctions or antique shops is a good way to share a time together and possibly add to your special collection. Isn’t time shared together what it is all about anyway?

        Are you as a couple divided about today’s agenda? Time to stop bantering back and forth. Flip a coin. He tosses the coin, she calls it. If she wins the toss you do it her way. If he wins the toss you do it her way. End of argument!

   Break out that pup tent and set it up in your back yard for a novel place to make love. The fresh air and the thin canvas walls will add to the excitement of this little adventure.

   Feeling adventurous? Light some candles, pour some wine and play a game of strip poker with your lover. One article of clothing is lost per hand. Once a player is naked, the hand winner can order a task on the hand looser. A little frisky imagination can make for a fun and novel evening.

   A spur of the moment foot massage with massage oil or lotion will send a true message of love to your sweetheart!

   This one can be done by either him or her. Gather the following items and put them in a gift bag. The items presented will speak for themselves as to your intent. A private romantic movie night can be prepared with: a DVD movie appropriate for the recipient, a bag of his or her favorite microwave popcorn, and two movie show type popcorn holders. Optional items can be a picture of yourself, a piece of lingerie or even the recipients' favorite love toy!

   Don't wait for the weekend to think of how to engage your loved-one with an activity or date. Search and plan early in the week so that you can make reservations or get tickets if necessary. The more planning you practice, the more successful your plans will be.

   Are you camping with friends, and each couple has young children and you have no privacy? After lunch you could all go to the playground and each couple will draw straws. The shortest straw couple are first to go back to their tent or camper for an afternoon delight while the others watch all the children. Each couple of course gets a turn. Happy camping!

   Suggest to your sweetie that you have a "pampering weekend"! Each of you can make a list of pampering that you wish your partner to lavish you with and then flip a coin to determine who gets first turn on Saturday.

You guys out there would do well if you loaded a pack pack with a blanket, wine (wineskin?), and crackers and cheese. Now take your beautiful lady on a nature hike. And don't forget to hold her hand!

Looking for Hard to Find Tickets? Find Tickets at Ticketmaster.com